ISAF World Match Race Rankings

Oktober 27, 2010 @ 18:07:51 Foto ISAF

ISAF World Match Race Ranking - Men

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The top three skippers on the open rankings remain the same with this ranking release, with Adam Minoprio (NZL) holding off the advances of Ainslie. The real action is in the women's rankings where Nicky Souter (AUS) returns to the #1 position ahead of 2010 World Champion Lucy MacGregor (GBR).

Since the last release of the rankings, ISAF has crowned a new Women's Match Racing World Champion and the climax of the 2010 World Match Racing Tour is right on the horizon.

Open Rankings

The gap between Adam Minoprio and Ben Ainslie has closed slightly after Ainslie defended his Argo Group Gold Cup title in Bermuda. Mathieu Richard (FRA) maintains his position in third overall ahead of Australia's Torvar Mirsky while Peter Gilmour (AUS) displaces Ian Williams (GBR) to complete the top five.

Meeting Ainslie in the final at the Argo Group Gold Cup was veteran match racer Jesper Radich (DEN). Now counting the results from four events, this former #1 moves up 53 places to #31. The Gold Cup claimed some high profile scalps in the early stages with Williams crashing out following a tie-break decision and Adam Minoprio ending his run in the quarter finals. 2008 winner, Johnie Berntsson (SWE) claimed the bronze medal from Eric Monnin (SUI) and both skippers move up three places. Emerging talent from the US Virgin Islands, Taylor Canfield claimed an extremely respectable fifth place at his first World Match Racing Tour event. He also finished second behind Shawn Bennett at the US Nationals and improves his ranking position by four points to a career best f #27.

The World Match Racing Tour now moves to Malaysia for the final event of the season, the Monsoon Cup where all eyes will be on Richard, Minoprio and Ainslie all within striking distance of the World Championship title.

There are no Grade 1 pen events included in this release and just one Grade 2 event, the Master Espana Match Race. #7 ranked sailor Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) took the title in Bayona but does not change his ranking position.

Women's Rankings

The bronze medal for Nicky Souter at the ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships has proved enough to boost her back to the #1 position but it is by the smallest of margins. The new world champion, Lucy MacGregor is snapping at her heels just eight points behind. Claire Leroy (FRA) went out to Souter in the petit-final but was back on the top of the podium to claim her National Championship title; she slips one place down to #3. Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) moves up one place to #4 while previous #1, Renee Groeneveld, who finished in seventh at the Worlds slides down to #5. Silver medallist Sally Barkow (USA) makes her return to the top ten at #9. Feeling the effects of not competing at the Worlds is Silke Hahlbrock (GER) who falls out of the top ten, five places to #13.

With a flurry of national championship titles up for grabs since the last ranking release and 28 new skippers join the rankings . Just last weekend, Mandy Mulder (NED) claimed the Danish title, defeating Vesna Dekleva Paoli (SLO) in the final. Mulder moves up 11 places to #30 while Dekleva climbs eight places to #27. The first ever Irish Women's Match Racing National title was claimed by Laura Dillon and her 'Really Naughty' team and she joins the rankings at #105. Victoria Rawlinson claimed the British title and, now counting two events climbs 168 places up to #100. The Italian title was clinched by Cristiana Monina but she moves just one place to #17.

Russian National Champion Ekaterina Skudina moves up to a career best, into the top 10 for the first time at #6. Skudina way ahead of any of the other Russian teams on the rankings but hot competition at the Russian Youth Match Racing Championship suggests there is fresh talent from this nation on the horizon. The Grade 3 event was won by Valeriya Pospelova who moves up 24 places to her career best of #55.